Sockage

One pair socks, knitted with Caron Dazzleaire yarn. Or Wintuk. Basically, worsted weight. I figured, what the hell, if they're too thick for me to wear with my shoes, they'll be perfect with my clogs. And I get socks under my belt without spending forever on them. A win-win.

Rumsfeld Testifying

I just listened to the first 20 minutes or so of Rumsfeld's appearance, and I'm much more pleased with his apology -- which seems like a true apology and admission of culpability -- than the one I heard on the radio from Bush. Bush seemed more like he was saying the equivalent of "I'm sorry you got offended", not, "I'm sorry I offended you", in a flamewar.

Cool Impending Book

Want to give Sidra a gift? How about Bob Edwards' new book, Edward R. Murrow and the Birth of Broadcast Journalism?

Just a suggestion, amongst the many fine and entertaining selections on my wish list.

Diebold Decertified in California

The Ban:

California Bans E-vote Machines

Inside CA's Diebold Decertification

The techs were told not to tell what they were doing, and not to answer questions.

There was no inventory control. Patches went on some voter card encoders but not others, and records weren't kept of which were which.

CA Bans Digital Voting Machine

The Inquiries:

A New Pentagon Papers Case - Newspapers, Blogs and the Diebold/Jones Day Memos

Diebold Knew of Legal Risks

Calif. Moves to Block Diebold's E-Voting Machines

California Grills Diebold Over E-Voting Foul-Ups

E-Voting Undermined by Sloppiness

Diebold admitted wrongdoing Tuesday at a meeting of the state's Voting Systems Panel, or VSP, and said it was making changes to its procedures for upgrading its systems.

But Secretary of State Kevin Shelley, who made an unprecedented appearance before the VSP, said he was disturbed by the company's actions and would not rule out the possibility of decertifying the machines in California.

"The core of our American democracy is the right to vote," Shelley said. "Implicit in that right is the notion that that vote be private, that vote be secure, and that vote be counted as it was intended when it was cast by the voter. And I think what we're encountering is a pivotal moment in our democracy where all of that is being called into question."

Maryland State Risk Assessment on Diebold System Report (PDF)

Analysis of an Electronic Voting System